Partners in Progress

partners for progress

Nobody does BIG like Texas! And no place tells the story of Texas better than the Witte Museum in San Antonio. Located along the picturesque banks of the San Antonio River, this state-of-the-art museum is where the nature, science and culture of Texas come together.

When Lee Michaels co-president Ryan Berg moved to San Antonio 11 years ago, it was the Witte Museum (pronounced Weety, if you want to say it like a Texan) that immediately caught his attention. “Part of Lee Michaels’ core values are to give back to the community,” says Ryan. “I saw what the Witte Museum was doing— impacting the community and educating so many people. I wanted to be part of it.”

“When Ryan came to see us, he talked about his experience, leadership roles and accomplishments in Louisiana and asked what he could do for us,” says Marise McDermott, president and CEO of the Witte Museum since 2004. Marise accepted his offer to sponsor one of their events but countered with an offer of her own—become a nominee for the museum’s board of trustees. “I told Ryan we could really use him as we transform the Witte. He was a visionary. He had more ideas in five minutes that I’d heard in two years.”

Ryan became a trustee in 2012. Two years later he was chair of the development committee and a member of the executive committee. “He’s such an innovator. Nonprofits need that kind of energy, vision, excitement and brilliance,” says Marise. “He completely restructured the way we did corporate requests. He’s now beginning his first year as chair of the board of trustees, which he will serve for two years.”

Ryan, likewise, respects Marise’s leadership style. “Marise is very progressive and has dynamic vision,” says Ryan. “She gets things done. Through her collaborative approach as a leader, she can execute—and have her team execute—on her visions.”

At that time, Marise’s vision for the Witte—adding 174,000 square feet to its campus buildings at a cost of $100 million—was the most ambitious expansion program to be undertaken since its founding in 1926. Let’s take a closer look at some of these improvements.

DINOS TO PECOS TO VAQUEROS

When the Witte tells the story of Texas, it goes back— way back—to the dinosaurs. “In the Naylor Family Dinosaur Gallery we feature only dinosaurs that were native to Texas, like the Acrocanthosaurus,” says Marise, “Witte Curator of Paleontology Dr. Thomas Adams uncovered 300 footprints of this dinosaur right here in San Antonio. From those footprints, we were able to build a skeletal representation of a dinosaur that lived 105 million years ago.” In the museum display, the Acrocanthosaurus is shown walking on the actual molded footprints that the paleontologist found.

The Naylor Gallery also has the largest flying creature ever, the Quetzalcoatlus. It is a pterosaur, or a flying reptile. “Its skeleton was found in Big Bend,” says Marise. “We have three versions of the Quetzalcoatlus in the gallery—a fleshed out version at the entrance, a standing one and a full flying skeleton.”

This exhibit is a Berg family favorite. “The dinosaurs are life-size and enormous!” says Ryan. “Our kids love them!”

The next part of the story of Texas takes place in the Kittie West Nelson Ferguson People of the Pecos Gallery. “It features the first people who lived here thousands of years ago and is a powerful exhibit,” says Marise. “People of the Pecos depicts amazing evidence from small bands of families that lived in semi-arid areas throughout West Texas, near the Rio Grande. That’s dramatic and important because it shows how people lived very well on this rugged land. They were quite ingenious and

used the land to hunt, fish and make clothes.”

Living under six flags—Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States of America—Texas became a confluence of cultures. Among the groups are the vaqueros or cowboys. The Witte has an extensive collection of artifacts from them, which it loaned to the Smithsonian for its vaqueros exhibit. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Witte partners with the Smithsonian on exhibits and sends museum professionals to the worldfamous museum to work on prestigious programs there.

THE H-E-B BODY ADVENTURE

By far, one of the most popular exhibits at the Witte is the H-E-B Body Adventure powered by University Health. This interactive and entertaining exhibit was developed in response to the desire of the community— especially mega-grocer H-E-B—and health systems in San Antonio to help Texans switch from a sedentary lifestyle of processed foods to one of healthy eating and physical activity.

The exhibit invites visitors to take a virtual bicycle ride along the San Antonio River; test their energy by walking or running across a motion-capture screen; and calculate how long it takes to walk to the San Antonio River based on their stride and height. They can also tour gardens of medicinal and culinary plants; learn hands-on, simple ways to make healthy snacks and meals; consult with medical students as they interact with a life-size, touch-screen anatomy table; and learn about the heart and see how the body processes food. While taking part in these activities, visitors are invited to use a power pass which captures, anonymously, their weight, height, neighborhood, when they last ate fresh veggies and fruits, and if there are areas for exercise and play where they live. So far, over one million visitors have participated.

The Witte uses this data to effect changes that promote the common good. For example, if numbers indicate areas where there are no safe parks for children, the park district knows to build or improve a neighborhood park there. If some areas are food deserts, meaning they have no nearby stores that sell fresh fruits, veggies, meats and seafood, data collected can encourage tax breaks for grocers to set up business there.

Thanks to the information collected by the Witte Museum at the H-E-B exhibit, the city of San Antonio applied for and was awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health award in 2017—only four years after the Witte began the project.

“I am most proud that we are part of shaping the future of Texas health and wellness, environmental awareness and land stewardship,” says Marise. “When we make Texans—particularly children—aware of the land, sky and water of this state, they will be enlightened citizens that will vote—and be involved—and serve Texas in the future.”

TEXAS WILD

Another very popular area is the McLean Family Texas Wild Exhibit, which features the critters of Texas—in both a gallery setting and live too. “From tarantulas to scorpions, snakes to bobcats, and armadillos, this is what visitors from here and also outside Texas truly love,” says Marise. “They hear about armadillos but may never see one in the wild. But there’s one at the Witte!”

THE ANNUAL GAME DINNER

Patrons of the museum can also see wild critters not in cages but on a dinner plate at the Witte’s annual game dinner. This fundraiser, which brings in the majority of the funding for the museum, originated when local hunters emptied their freezers of all the game they had in preparation for the new hunting season. While venison was standard fare, word has it that rattlesnake occasionally appeared on the menu too. “We still have venison and game,” says Ryan, “but we also cater it.”

“It’s my kind of party,” says Ryan who enjoys the casual vibe of the dinner—blue jeans and cowboy hats and dancing. When Ryan and wife Jessica agreed to serve as committee chairs for the event, they worked hard to break the record high of $700,000 in proceeds.

Before the event total was announced that evening, Ryan looked at Marise and asked, “If I get it to a million dollars, can I dunk you in the water?”

Marise replied emphatically, “No sir! I will not. But you can get it to a million anyway.”

And he did!

Yes, indeed! Nobody does BIG like Texas—and with the help of a Louisiana-transplant like Ryan Berg, the Witte Museum more than lives up to that boast.

An experience elevated in the San Antonio Hill Country for those seeking soulful reflection, joyful celebration, mindful movement and vibrant living. It’s an escape that’s yours and it’s all within reach.